


00 - Fool

by SlayerEnfiniti



Series: Tokyo Ghoul Week [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alcohol, Cuddles, M/M, Shu being a Decent Person for once, is asleep nearby, no dicks no blood can we even call this a tokyo ghoul fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 23:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlayerEnfiniti/pseuds/SlayerEnfiniti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd known this was a bad idea from the start, but he still agreed to keep Ken company on his first sojourn into alcohol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	00 - Fool

00 - Fool

This had been a terrible idea, Shu thought wryly. Why had he even thought this was a good idea?

It had all started with an offhand reference to alcohol he’d made. Ken, ever the knowledge-seeker, had inquired about ghouls and getting drunk, and one thing led to another and here they were on Ken’s 20th birthday, huddled around the heater with small cups of coffee liquor in their hands.

(He’d suggested blood wine, naturally, but Ken had shot him down.)

They’d all agreed Ken shouldn’t try alcohol alone for his first time, so Banjou and Shu had both valiantly volunteered to be drinking buddies.

(How was he supposed to know Banjou would be drunk before he finished his first cup, and fast asleep after finishing just one?)

Ken stared down at his cup the same way he’d been for the past few minutes, and Shu wondered if he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open. Pink was blooming across the other’s cheeks and ears, so clearly the drinks were starting to get to him. “Kaneki-kun?” The other jolted and looked up at Shu like he’d never seen him before. “How are you feeling?”

He blinked, then looked back down at his cup. “Pretty normal, I think? I’m kind of…” He gestured up and down with the hand not holding the drink. “My outside is cold but my inside is warm. Does that make sense?”

Shu sipped his own drink, not wanting to spoil the experience by getting truly drunk himself. “It makes perfect sense, Kaneki-kun.” He made a little noise of surprise as Ken downed his nearly-full drink then started coughing. “Ca-Calmato, Kaneki-kun, take it easy on those.” Ken’s muscles would help him burn off a lot of it, but three full drinks was kind of a lot.

“It’s fine,” Ken reassured him, breathing deliberately slow. “I’m not feeling it yet.” Shu watched with trepidation and Ken poured himself another generous cupful. “Took me a bit to get used to the flavor, but it’s actually really good.” He looked over at Banjou, who was slumped back on the couch with his mouth wide open. “That was a surprise though… I thought the bigger you were the more you could drink?” Ken turned back to Shu with a puzzled expression.

“It’s a rule of thumb, but there are always exceptions.” He wondered if he should intervene and cut Ken off. Surely he’d had enough, once that third one made its way into him he’d be well and truly drunk. Curiosity stilled him, though, proving he was a terrible choice for a first-time monitor.

They chatted comfortably as Ken worked through his fourth cup much more slowly. Shu watched with fascination as Ken’s movements became less coordinated, as his face got redder, as his masterful vocabulary started to fail him. Shu himself was starting to feel a faint buzz through his veins, so he slowed his drinking even more.

“And then there was the… uh… the…” Ken gestured in the air again. “The thing?” Shu nodded and smiled, completely clueless what Ken was trying to tell him about. “Yeah. The thing. It was pink!” Ken laughed, and the sound of it warmed Shu in a strange way. “Pink, can you believe…?” Ken blinked at Shu. “Your face is weird.”

Shu covered his mouth with one hand. “I-Is it?” he asked, voice a bit higher than usual. He had just realized what a golden opportunity he’d been presented. Ken’s supporters were all asleep. Ken was sitting right next to him, uninhibited, guard completely down. If ever there were a time to make a move…

Ken downed the last of his fourth cup, and Shu reached forward the same time he did. “Kaneki-kun, that’s enough,” he said firmly. “You don’t want to drink any more, trust me.”

Ken glared at him, but Shu stared him down. With a huff, Ken leaned back against the couch. “I’m fine,” he repeated stubbornly. Still, apparently he did trust Shu, at least as far as he didn’t fight over being stopped.

Shu stoppered the bottle and rose. “I need to put this in the refrigerator, Kaneki-kun, I’ll be back in just a minute.” He didn’t like leaving the other alone with only a comatose Banjou for company, but Ken just folded his arms and grumbled and Shu walked to the kitchen. He stowed the bottle carefully, both to keep it in its prime and to hide it from any underages who might get tempted. It was important to get it just right, lest he come in one day to an innocent drunk. He shifted one more packet of meat in front of it, then stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Then he realized he’d been gone from the living room for far too long. Heart beating fast, he hurried back into the room. “Kaneki-kun?” He breathed a sigh of relief as the head of white hair shifted when he called out. As he walked back around the couch, though, he realized that Ken’s eyes were starting to droop.

“You w’re gone forever,” he mumbled. “Whose fridge didya go to?” Shu started to return to his chair, but Ken reached out and snagged his jacket. “Don’t…” His face got redder still and he looked away. “Would you… sit next to me?” Heart hammering, Shu did as asked. Ken’s appetizing scent was blotted by the harsh smell of alcohol, but he still smelled far too tempting. “Ah ha,” Ken said lazily. “I was right.” He leaned against Shu suddenly, making Shu red. “Y’re a heater. How do you do that?”

Shu had to clear his throat to talk. “W-Well, when one is concerned with fashion, there are many times when in order to look your best you have to wear things that are inappropriate for the weather conditions,” he rambled. “So being able to regulate your body temperature is a great asset, if you catch my drift.”

“All I heard was ‘great ass’,” Ken said bluntly. Shu froze as Ken moved off of his side and turned more toward him. “Well, I’m cold and y’re warm,” he said in a firm voice. “So…” Shu made a squeaky noise as Ken climbed into his lap, facing him, then ducking to bury his face in Shu’s neck. “Much better,” he sighed happily.

Shu sat frozen to the spot, face bright red. He was pretty sure this was the kind of thing that should have been stopped. He absolutely should have stopped this. Ken’s breath tickled his neck, and his scent filled Shu’s nose. “Kaneki-kun, I’m not sure this is…” He trailed off as Ken shifted again, this time moving to lay down in his lap, curled up like some giant cat. “Uh?”

“Shut up, ’m finally warm,” Ken grumbled. “Y’better be my sword, okay? Watch my back f’r me…” The words slowed as Ken talked, and Shu could feel the tension start to seep out of the other.

He took a deep breath. Trust. Warmth. Gifts he wasn’t used to receiving. “Certo, Kaneki-kun,” he murmured, hand brushing the bangs out of Ken’s eyes. “I swore, didn’t I?”

A faint smile formed on Ken’s face. “Good,” he breathed. More tension seeped out of him, and Shu felt him relax into sleep, still curled up on Shu’s lap.

In that moment, Shu wasn’t sure which of them was the bigger fool.

 

 


End file.
